Christopher Cerf
Christopher B. Cerf (born August 19, 1941) brought a mid-century pop music sound to the music of Sesame Street, composing and contributing vocals for songs by Little Jerry and the Monotones, Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats, and other short-lived pop-star parodies. Among his best known works are "Put Down the Duckie" and "Monster in the Mirror," two collaborations with former Sesame Street head writer Norman Stiles. Both songs have been filmed in versions that feature large numbers of celebrities. He appears in the television documentary Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music in tribute to his friend and collaborator. Cerf also composed songs for the short-lived series, Little Muppet Monsters. His father, Bennett Cerf, was the co-founder of Random House books and a panelist of What's My Line? and his mother, Phyllis Fraser, co-founded Random House's Beginner Books with Dr. Seuss. His brother, Jonathan Cerf, wrote Big Bird's Red Book. Some characters that Cerf has provided voices for include Little Chrissy (who was based on Cerf), Chrissy (of Little Jerry and the Monotones), Bruce Stringbean, Mick Swagger, How Now Brown, the Lead Frazzletone, and the Captain from "Imagine That!". Cerf's voice can also be heard on the Cecille theme song. Sesame Place's The Game Centre was "the creative brain-child of Cerf."Correction: Ahl's only part of Sesame Place", InfoWorld, October 31, 1979. Christopher Cerf is also the co-creator and an Executive Producer of Between the Lions. He was a close personal friend of the late Douglas Adams, acclaimed author of the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. He wrote the introduction for the US edition of The Salmon of Doubt, a posthumous release of some of Adams' last works. Composer credits According to his bio in Encyclopedia Paranoiaca (2012, with Henry Beard), Cerf has written over 300 Sesame Street songs. File:2837c.jpg|A-Cleanin' Up the Lot File:AboveandBelow.jpg|Above and Below Image:Aboveitall.jpg|Above It All Image:EnVogue.Adventure.jpg|Adventure Image:Song.Air.GuySmiley.jpg|Air File:YoshShmenge.jpg|Alphabet Polka Image:Antarctica.jpg|Antarctica! Count-babycountonme.jpg|Baby, You Can Count on Me Image:Song.BacksBusyTappin.jpg|Back Front Tap Rap Image:BigWolfFamily.jpg|Bad Wolf BalladOfSlipperySlim.jpg|The Ballad of Slippery Slim Image:BarnInUSA.jpg‎|Barn in the USA Image:Celeb.bbking.jpg|B.B. King Image:Beginningmiddleend.jpg|Beginning, Middle, End Image:BertsBlanket01.jpg|Bert's Blanket Image:Song.Between.jpeg|Between Image:Song.betweenyoume.jpg|Between You and Me Image:Song.BigBiggerBiggest.jpg|Big Bigger Biggest File:1706b.jpg|Big Bird's Going to Camp Image:2938k.jpg|Big Bird's Rock Song Image:2938m.jpg|Big Bird's Rock 'n Roll Song Image:Song.birdlandjump.jpg|The Birdland Jump Image:BloodTest.jpg|Blood Test Image:Song.borntoadd.jpg|Born to Add Image:BornToLearn.jpg|Born to Learn Image:BrandNewLook.jpg|Brand New Look Image:Breakfastclub.JPG|The Breakfast Club Image:Song.bubbleonmysnuffle.jpg|Bubble on My Snuffle Image:BusyGettingBetter.jpg|Busy Getting Better All the Time Image:BugsEverywhere.jpg|Bugs Song Image:Song.cdrivesmecrazy.jpg|C Drives Me Crazy File:3154v.jpg|Cerrado/Abierto Image:CloudNine.jpg|Cloud Nine Image:Cluckaroundtheclock.jpg|Cluck Around the Clock Image:3164x.jpg|Coastline Song Image:1706h.jpg|Coconut Counting Man Image:cookiediscoTV.jpg|Cookie Disco Image:4128za.jpg|Cookie's R Rap Song Image:Song.countithigher.jpg|Count it Higher Image:Song.countingbackwardsinspanish.jpg|Counting Backwards in Spanish Image:Song.countingrobins.jpg|Counting Robins Image:12starsbythrees.jpg|Counting Stars by 3's Image:Count vacation.JPG|Counting Vacation Image:2096w.jpg|Dance Myself to Sleep Image:LittleJerryDanger.jpg|Danger Image:HowNowBrown.jpg|Danger's No Stranger File:3976x.jpg|Danger Song Image:Bertdoor.JPG|Do De Rubber Duck Image:Doo Wop Hop.jpg|Do-Op Hop Image:Bennyhop.jpg|Do the Benny Hop Image:DoTheDog.jpg|Do the Dog File:3166c.jpg|Do the Laundry File:3438.ComingSoon.jpg|Doin' the Grouch Image:Cookieangels.jpg|Don't Eat the Pictures Image:2482a.jpg|Don't Sing This Song Image:DontTouchMe.jpg|Don't Touch Me! Image:SignSaysDontWalk.JPG|Don't Walk Image:3154n.jpg|Don't Waste Water Image:FireWolf.jpg|Don't You Go Back In Image:2059x.jpg|D-U-C-K-I-E File:1709s.jpg|Echo Rock Image:3136j.jpg|Elbows and Knees Image:Elephantelevator.jpg|The Elephant Elevator Operator Image:Song.fivejive.jpg|Elmo's Jive Five Image:ReadingAndWritingDay.jpg|Every Day's a Reading and Writing Day Image:Song.everybodynap.jpg|Everybody Nap File:InYourCloset.jpg|Exploring in Your Closet Image:Song-exit.jpg|Exit Image:FaceFacts.jpg|Face Facts Image:3978e.jpg|Five Waltzing Chairs File:3140x.jpg|Flowers on the Doorstep File:3507zoe.jpg|Follow the Dots Image:3164g.jpg|Four Lambs Together File:FrontBackYaks.jpg|Front/Back Image:3982c.jpg|Furry Happy Monsters Image:2938o.jpg|Gimme Some Rock 'n Roll Image:4419-Horse.png|A Girl and Her Horse Image:GoBabyGo!.jpg|Gonna Rock You to Sleep Image:Googlebugle.jpg|Google Bugle Image:Song.HandTalk.jpg|Hand Talk File:HandfulOCrumbs.jpg‎|Handful of Crumbs Image:Happytapping.jpg|Happy Tappin' with Elmo Image:Song.healthyfood.jpg|Healthy Food Image:Song.heavylight.jpg|Heavy and Light Image:HeyFood.jpg‎|Hey Food Image:HonkAroundtheClock.jpg|Honk Around a Clock Image:HonkerDuckieDingerJamboree.jpg|The Honker-Duckie-Dinger Jamboree File:2795p.jpg|Hooper's! Hooper's! Hooper's! Image:Hotinthecity.jpg|Hot in the City Image:CountRuler.jpg|How Deep is Your Bathtub Image:4112zi.jpg|How Hard It Is to Be 15 Image:TellyRandyTravis.jpg|How Should I Tell You I Love You Image:Song.IAmChicken.jpg|I Am Chicken Image:ICan'tGetNoCooperation.jpg|(I Can't Get No) Co-Operation Image:IfElmoHadTeeth.jpg|If Elmo Had Teeth Image:Gotoschool1.jpg|I Go to School Image:4135-abbysong.jpg|I Love Words Image:4125s.jpg|I Want to Be Me Image:Wishihadafriend.jpg|I Wish I Had a Friend to Play With Me Image:RememberILoveYou.jpg|I'll Always Remember I Love You Image:Song.ImABookwormBaby.jpg|I'm a Bookworm, Baby! Image:4419d.png|I'm a Kangaroo Image:4419-Lobster.png|I'm a Lobster Image:4134u.jpg|I'm Gonna Get to You Image:4419-Beast.png|I'm Looking for a Beast Image:Song.sadhappy.jpg|I'm Sad Because I'm Happy Image:Inout.jpg|In and Out Crowd Image:InYourImagination.jpg|In Your Imagination Image:2795m.jpg|The Inside Story File:Song.Island.jpg|Island Song Image:ItsMyFeather.jpg|It Ain't Heavy, It's My Feather Image:StartsWithGoo.jpg|It All Starts with Goo Goo Goo Image:Zydeco.jpg|It's Zydeco Image:3136m.jpg|Jump File:Song-strawberries.jpg|Just One Strawberry Blues Image:KidsGottaListen.jpg|Kids Gotta Listen and Kids Gotta Speak Image:3159m.jpg|(The Name of the Place is) The Laundromat File:3568.ComingSoon.jpg|Let the Triangles In File:3penguins.stopmo.jpg|Let's Count Penguins Image:Thebeetles.jpg|Letter B Image:2404j.jpg|The Like Changed Into Love Image:LongTimeNoSee.jpg|Long Time, No See File:3165j.jpg|Lost Bug Blues File:BBGrouch-2.jpg|The Loudest Lullaby (You've Ever Heard) Image:3763f.jpg|Love in the Junkyard Image:MeGoingtoMunchYou.jpg|Me Going to Munch You, Munch You, Munch You Image:Megottabeblue.jpg|Me Gotta Be Blue File:TheotherMEsong.jpg|Me, M-E, Me! Image:Monsterinthemirror.jpg|Monster in the Mirror File:Mountainsong.jpg|Mountain Song Image:Character.mrbetween.jpg|Mr. Between File:BoyfriendBackFront.jpg|"My Boyfriend's Back and Front File:SeeMyNewComputer.jpg|My New Computer Image:Song.natashaslullabye.jpg|Natasha's Lullabye Image:NearFar.balcony.jpg|Near and Far File:3538c.jpg|Near to You (Cerf/Ferraro) File:Nexttoewe.jpg|Next To Song Image:Travelsongs.jpg|Ninety Nine Bats (In My Car Today) File:3996l.jpg|No Letter Better Than B File:OhG.jpg|Oh, G (I Love That Letter) Image:Onmypond.jpg|On My Pond Image:OnceIsNotEnough.JPG|Once is Not Enough Image:OneWaysong.jpg‎|One Way File:Ewfood-quiz.jpg|Oops! (song) File:Song.OPEN.jpg|Open Song Image:OppositeGame.JPG|Opposite Game Image:TheOppositeSong.jpg|The Opposite Song Image:Band.oscarsjunkband.jpg|Oscar's Junk Band Image:2746q.jpg|Our Grouch (and We're Stuck with You) Image:2963-C7.jpg|Part of the Whole File:3525j.jpg|Perfect as a Pig File:4pineapples.jpg|Pineapple Addition File:3957s.jpg|Playground Map Song File:Song.Pleasebecareful.jpg|Please Be Careful File:Pushsong.jpg|Push! Push! Push! Image:PutDowntheDuckie.jpg|Put Down the Duckie Image:TracyChapman.jpg|Questions File:3rabbits.jpg|Rabbit Subtraction Image:GladImMe.jpg|Really, Really, Really Glad I'm Me Image:RebelLsong.jpg‎|Rebel L Image:Chrissyandthealphabeats.jpg|Rock 'N Roll Readers Image:RockNRollStar.jpg|Rock 'N Roll Star Image:3150u.jpg|Rollin' on the River Image:3959c.jpg|The Room Is Full of Chickens Image:4027c.jpg|Rosita Image:Toothpaste.jpg|Say Toothpaste, Somebody! File:BunnyShadow.jpg|Shadow Show Image:4116za.jpg|Shake Your Rattle and Roll Image:Song.ShortTall.jpg|Short or Tall Image:3161u.jpg|Silly Squirrel Dance File:Lake_song.jpg|(Sittin' On) A Boat on a Lake Image:3806d.jpg|Six Circus Balls Image:SnufflePolka.jpg|The Snuffleupagus Polka File:AlwaysBetweenUs.jpg|Something Always Comes Between Us Image:SometimesACookie.jpg|Sometimes a Cookie Image:StandByYourCan.jpg|Stand By Your Can Image:1sxu02&s-1-.jpg‎|Startin' Kindergarten Image:Bert-moranis.jpg|Stick Out Your Hand and Say Hello File:3715e.jpg|Stinky's Love Song File:3144p.jpg|Take 6 (song) File:3370d.jpg|Take a Bird to Work Day File:Hair.jpg|Take Care of Your Hair Image:TallTale.jpg|Tall Tale Image:Littlejerryandthemonotones.jpg|Telephone Rock Image:10CommandmentsofHealth.jpg|The Ten Commandments of Health Image:Canttakethat.jpg‎|They Can't Take That Away from Me (Sesame Street) File:Song.NotAlive.jpg|They're Not Alive Image:3187za.jpg|Things Are Always Changin' File:3142v.jpg|Thirteen Image:2874d.jpg|This Song Is for the Birds File:3107h.jpg|Twice as Nice File:4127zn.jpg|Two Pretty Flowers Image:001.JPG|Up and Down Opera Image:Cecille.UpDown.jpg|Up Down, In Out, Over and Under File:Song.Walk.jpg|Walk Image:4137m.jpg|Washin' the Dog File:Song.wasteroon.jpg|The Wasteroon Song Image:3007f.jpg|Watching All the Triangles Go Image:WeHateTheRain.jpg|We Hate the Rain Image:3816h.jpg|We're All Growin' Image:WetorDry.jpg|Wet or Dry Image:Wetpaintsong.jpg‎|Wet Paint Image:WetPaintSign.jpg|Wet Paint Sign Image:Whatsinside2.jpg|What's Inside? Image:Song.WhenYouGrowUp.jpg|When You Grow Up Image:3898b.jpg|When You Move the Mouse Image:3831oinkerBsong.jpg|Where Can You Be, B? Image:Nosong.jpg|The Word is "No" File:3592a.jpg|Words That Rhyme with Play Image:WriteItDown.jpg|Write it Down File:3259f.jpg|Yell Image:3816s.jpg|You Don't Have to Be a Grizzly Image:BePatient.jpg|You Gotta Be Patient (To Be a Patient) File:CountElvis.jpg|You Gotta Count My Blue Suede Shoes Image:Little chrissy you're alive.jpg|You're Alive Image:Cartoon-takeawayfood.jpg|Zero Song Image:Song.zigzagdance-original.jpg|Zig Zag Dance Image:2356-4.jpg|ZZ Blues References and Jim Henson.]] External links * New York Social Diary: Christopher Cerf * Wikipedia Article on Christopher Cerf * Christopher Cerf on Twitter * Cerf's official YouTube channel * Christopher Cerf, 2010 McGraw Prize in Education Winner Category:Writers Category:Composers Category:Muppet Voice Actors Category:Sesame Workshop Staff Category:Vocalists